Trap device for rodents and the like



Feb. 7, 1956 G. A. OSTERMEYER TRAP DEVICE FOR RODENTS AND THE LIKE 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 26, 1954 dIMgENTOR.

2,733,542 TRAP DEVICE FOR RODENTS AND THE LIKE Gustavus A.Ostermcyen'Boston, Mass. Application January 26, 1954, Serial No.406,106

Claims. (Cl. 43--83.5) I

This invention relates to trap devices for rodents and the like.

One object of my invention is to provide a trap to catch rodents and thelike provided with a bait holder and stall sothat a rodent can reach thebait onlyfrom the front of the trap. Thus the rodent is caught at theneck'or adjacent thereto, and is very likely to be killed outright bythe spring actuated clamp.

Another object is to provide. such a trap device having mechanism topermit a separate control member to open or release the spring actuatedclamp, and thus disengage the rodent therefrom without making personalcontact with the animal.

A further object is to i provide such a trap device having mechanismwhereby said separate control member can set the trap in open positionand the bait inserted in the bait holder, while the spring actuatedclamp is safelyretained in open position. g

A still further object is to provide such a trap device and controlmember that are simple in operation, economical to manufacture, and thecorrect use of which can readily be learned by an ordinary person.

The foregoing and other objects which will appear as the nature of theinvention is better understood, may be,

accomplished by a construction, combination and op- .er'ativearrangement of parts such as is disclosed by the The nature of theinvention is such as to render it susceptible to various changes andmodifications, and therefore, I am not to be limited to the constructiondrawings.

disclosed by the drawings nor to the particular parts described in thespecification; but am entitled to all such changes therefrom as fallwithin the scope of my claims. In thedrawings: e

Figure'l is a top plan view of my trap in closed position.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof. Figure 3 is a frontelevational view thereof. Figure 4 is a rear elevational view thereof.Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the control member for my trap,showing it connected to my trap device that appears in dash lines in setposition.

Figure 6 is a front elevational view of said control member.

As illustrated, my trap device has a base 10 which ordinarily is made ofa fiat piece of wood. At one end portion a staple or retainer 12 ismounted which is used to retain a control member, later described, whenthe "latter is used. Said trap has a spring actuated jaw in icornmonuse, having two sides 14, a cross bar 16 at the front and a shaft 18 atthe'rear, the latter loosely extendingthrough two staples 20 set in saidbase at opposite side portions thereof. A loop portion 22 at one end ofone of said side portions 14, which said shaft 18 extends through,retains said spring actuated jaw in place. A coil spring24 is positionedin the space 25 provided by undercut portions of, a stall back and sideslater described. This spring 24 is loosely mounted on said shaft 18, oneend 26 of which lies across one of said jaw side 'shaft 18 and bears onsaid base 10. Thus said spring 24 tends to' force down and keep thespring actuated jaw in closed position inthe usual way.

Said base 10 is preferably reinforced by a metal plate 30 lying on andpartly covering it. On said plate is a stallorjmounting member having aback 32 directly 1 above said coil spring 24 and two arcuate sides 34and 36 extending forwardly of said back with said spring actuated jawoutside of and spaced therefrom. Said United States Patent() tremitythereof.

" ice screws 38 under it which extend upwardly into the sides 34 and 36thereof. A slot 40 extends from the bottom upwardly in said side 36. A v

. Abait holder has a main body 42 terminating in a reverse lower end 43providing a receiver portion for the bait with holes 44 therein andteeth 46 at the end ex- At the upper end said bait holder has twoturned-over extensions 48 at opposite sides, which are formed'to providebearing openings50 extending laterally. Between said extensions 48 is anactuator portion shown as a forked guide portion 52 curving rearwardlyand having a slot 53 therein. Said portion 52 may be curved forwardlyand upwardly to serve as a stop member to keep said spring actuated jawfrombeing pulled too far rearwardly of a tooth 70. V

A supporting catch 54for said bait holder has a shaft 56 extendingtherethrough and through said bearing openings 50 thus pivotally holdingsaid baitholder .to said support, The forward part of said supportingcatch '54 serves as astop portion 57 limiting the forward swingingmovement of said bait holder. There is another hole 58 in said catch'54rearwardly of the bait holder and a shaft 60 removably extends throughsaid stall sides 34 and 36 and said latter hole 58, terminating in ahooked, retaining end 62. r V

Thus said supporting catch 54 carrying said bait holder, is pivotallymounted on said stall. Its rear or tail portion 64 extends through saidslot 37 in the stall back 32 and the catch is held under tension by avertical coil or counter spring 66 attached at one end to the rearportion sition, it forces the curved, front. part of the catch 54slightly downward, then releases the latter to normal position by thetime the rear of said tooth 70 contacts said cross bar 16. At this pointsaid jaw cross bar 16 projects above the adjacent part of said forkedportion 52. As the animal nibbles at the baithe forces said bait holderto swing rearwardly, since the latter is freely suspended on saidsupporting catch 54. This. rearward swinging movement of the bait holdercauses said forked portion 52 to move forward pushing said jaw cross bar16 over said tooth 70, thus releasing it to catch the animal in theusual way. Movement of said bait holder rearwardly also tends to forcesaid supporting catch 54 slightly downward.

When it is desired to open said spring actuated jaw, as

"for instance, to release the body of a rodent caught in V the trap, Iprovide a control member, shown in Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings,which can be used in combination with my trap to openthe latter, andtoreset the spring actuated jaw to open position, and also to retainsaid spring actuated jaw against any movement while baiting the baitholder. A g

This control member has a main body 80in which an elongate slot 82 isprovided extending from the bottom to a point spaced fromthe top. Afinger recess 84, above said slot, is provided in the handle portion 86.

, At the lower end an extension base 88 is attached to said main body 80and is forward of said bodyisii and projects beyond said extensionbottom and is adapted to I in which is fixed a retainer, shown as a' pinQ0, which enter the opening in said retaining staple 12;

.Attached to and lying next .to said body 80 is .a spring retainer 92,held by pins 93, the lower part of which is spaced from the body. Acontrol rod 94 is slidably amounted on :said body 80, being -rn'ovably:retained by iscrewjeyes :96 tfixedihsaid body. This rod 94 -has anrahgtilar slitting ,ftn'ger 98 which projects inwardly, in ipo'sitionoftus'e',itowardsrsaideslot-ttl in the .trap Pstall :side .36;:Ad'aterally extending handle 1% tatrtheiupper end of the rod 94 extendsacross said :slot 82 being :turned diatik upon itself. All parts of thistCQlltlOl Lro'd 94 are tshown :formetl "of a single .piece r-ef wlire.

When the trap has caught an fanimal, thespring actu ated -=jaw is :inclosed position with the animal between the crossbar 16 and b'aselO. My:controlzmemb'er anay be connected thereto'by placing-'saidl'b'ase 88onsaid base l with sa'id retaining pin 90 extendingiinto the opening 'intheret'aining'staple 1 2. Said handle 100 is rotated to turnsai'dliftin'g finger 98 laterally inward and under Jsaid jaw side :14,as-shown'in said Figure 5. Then Is'aid rod is drawn upwardly, :and saidfinger moves upwardly in said slot 40, thus 'lifting sai'd springactuated jaw and *freeing the dead animal from the trap.

I iI-o reset the trap with my control member, the rod '93 is movedfarther upwardly =until said cross bar 16 is j'us't back of-said tooth79. In doing this part of said :red 'handle 100 has 'movedmnder saidspring retainer 92 where it'rernains indefinitely until released, asshown in dash lines i'n Figures 5 -and'6 of the drawings. Thus the ispr'ihgfactuatedjaw is heldin-open or set position, and thetrap rnayibebaited by=ins'erting bait in 'saidbait holder lower end enclosurewithout fear of the'said jaw springing to closed position. Tofree theeontrdlmemberfrom tr'a pjthecontrol rod 594 is pushed downwardly away*from said "retainer '92 and the rod is rotated until said 'lifti'n gfinger 'is laterally beyond said-trap, whereupon the said retaining pin90 is drawn out of said opening in staple 12. Thus the'control member isavailable to perform the'sa'me function for other traps.

I {nan-animal trap device comprisinga-ba'se, =a mountin'g'member'attached to said'base embodying two sides, and a back betweensaid sides having a slot therein-extendingfrom the top downwardly, asring actuated fjaw embodying a front cross bar OUtSld Of said mountingrnenibenfnteans'movably attaching said spring actuated j w to said base,'a supportin'g catchge'xtending into "said slot, adapted'to hold saidfront crossbar inset position,

rneahs movably mounting said supporting 'catch on and daetween "saidsides :o'r said "mounting member, rneansmot/ably'connectingfsgndfcatchto said base rearwardly or said slot,:a'separate bait holder, and rneans'movaoly rnouriting'sai'd bfait holderon said catch, said bait' h'older be g sopo'siti'oned'thatntovement'inone direction tends fto can's'e itfto free said front cross.bar from said supporting catch whenj'th'e latter is .in set position,

animah'tra'p device jcon 1prising a base, Ia stall attac an to 'saidl'aase embodyingtwo sides and aback, a spring .actuatedjaw embodying afront cross bar .and jtwo sides outside of said stall, means movablyattachi ,7 said spring actuated jaw to said base, a supportingcatchembodying'a tooth adapted'to hold said front cross bar-in set,p'o'sition, a shaft movably mounting said catch 'bnsaid stall, meansembodying a spring member mov- 1v- Que in S i i of d'b se, sepa a e i"holder embodying 'a"forked actuator portion fat theupper 7 end thereofadjacent said tooth, said catchextendingiinto the fspace provided bysaid forked "portion, and a shaft 'movably mounting said baithdlder onsaid catch "at a ,jioinitforwardly of said forked portion, said actuatorportion 'extending'rearwardly ofsaid tooth and adapted upon nt i f a ibt q i Q 1 f stiq tq s m banwnen-tnejlatter tsiin setpos'itt'onandenibo'dyingtwo "si'des and a back, a

spring actuatedjaw embodying a .front cross bar and two sides outside ofsaid stall, means movably attaching said spring actuated jaw to saidbase, a supporting catch embodying a tooth adapted ttoghold said frontcross bar in set position, a :horizontal {strait nnovably -mounting:said catch on said stall, means embodying .aspring member movablyconnecting .a rear portion of said .catch to said base, a separatehaitholder enibodyinga forked actuator portion at: the upper end thereofadjacent said tooth, a forward 'portion of said catch extending into thespace provided by said forked portion, and a horizontal shaft moyablymounting said bait holder on said catch at a -point forwardly of said'forkedp'ortion, said actuator por- 'tion extending rearwardly of saidtooth and adapted upon movement off-said bait holderfin one direction tocontact sa'i'dtront cross barwhen the latteris inset position and exert,pressure thereon."

4. An animal trap device comprising a base, 'a-stall attached to saidbase embodying two sides and a back, a "springa'ctuatedjawemb'odying'a'frontcross bar and two sides outside'df said stall,means movably attaching said spring actuated .jaw to said base, asupporting catch extending rearwardly of'said back and embodying a toothadaptedto'hold said front crossbar inset'positioma shaft 'ntovjalblymounting said catch on said stall, 'mean s embodying a spring member'movably connecting said catch at apoint rearwardly of said'bac'k tosaid base, a separate bait holder embodying "a receiver portion at thelower end between said stall sides and a forked actuator portion'at"the'upper end thereof -adjacentsaid'tooth and above said side's,"said catch extending into the space provided by said forkedportion,"anda shaft movably mountingsaid hait holder 'fforwardlyof said forkedportion 'on said "catch, saidtactua'tor portion extending rearwardly ofsaid "tooth and adapted upon'movem'ent of said bait holder in one.direction to contact said front .cross barwhen "the 'l'atter is in setposition and exert pressure thereon, said "stall s'i'des extendingforwardlybeyond said receiver portion thereby to partially "conceal .thelatter .at opposite "sides thereof.

base rearwardly of said undercut portions, a separate bait holderembodying a "forked actuator portion atjtheupper end thereof adjacentsaid tooth, an intermediate portion of said catch extending intothespaceprovided by said forked polrtion, and a shaft mjovably mounting "saidbait I'holder forwardly of said forkedportion on said catch,

fs aidactuatorjportion extending rearwardly of saidtooth and adaptedupon movement of said bait holder in one direction to contact said frontcrossbarwhen the latter isin set position and exert pressure thereon.

References Cited inthe tile or 'this p'atent iUNTTED lST-ATES PATENTSAURM' r-

